Page 64 - OHS, June 2021

HEAT STRESS
Preparing for Summer Work in More Ways than One
Numerous factors and types of workers should go into consideration for heat prevention. BY MICHAEL PREWITT
As we approach summer, there are positive signs for workers: the economy is steadily recovering as people get vaccinated and return to normal life, and legislation is before congress to update our country’s infrastructure. Plenty of opportunities are on the horizon, especially for construction workers.
One of the few downsides of this summer’s work will be the heat and the challenges it poses to worker health and safety. As the climate continues to warm (2020 was the fifth-warmest year1 on record according to the National Centers for Environmental Information), with no federal standards in place to appropriately manage heat stress, the responsibility for heat safety falls on each state or even on each individual company. Appropriate knowledge and proper tools can help companies make summertime a safe and productive time.
Heat-related injuries occur in just about every major working group that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks. In 2018, 3,120 workers missed at least one day of work due to environmental heat. Two of the biggest contributors to that total were Construction and Transportation2 with around 370 and 820 workers affected. That’s a lot of days off work, which costs companies a significant amount of money. Using OSHA’s cost estimator3 and a six percent profit margin (close to average for construction), a single heat-related incident requires about $1.3 million in sales to cover the direct and indirect costs of that
incident. The most important fact about heat-related injuries is that they are almost entirely preventable.
Understanding the Human Reaction to Heat
Humans have an incredible ability to adapt to varying environmental conditions, yet the adaptation to heat takes time and varies by individual. Moving a worker from North Dakota onto a job site in southern Arizona will not be seamless and could cause a slowdown in productivity while that worker adjusts to the new climate. Acclimatization can take from two to three weeks when managed properly; if not effectively managed, the worker’s health and work site safety are at risk. Appropriate heat acclimatization is accomplished by increasing one’s core body temperature 1 degree Celcius for an hour each day. If your job requires workers to wear PPE, as most do, you need to slowly add 20 percent of PPE each day, working toward full worksite PPE.
If people are so adaptable, what makes dealing with heat such a complex problem? First, let’s look at how the body handles heat. As your core body temperature rises, the primary mode of cooling off is sweating. Blood flow is increased to the skin, water and electrolytes are expelled by the sweat glands and the evaporation of sweat is what cools the body down. This process is very efficient, as long as evaporation can occur, your activity level does not increase and there is adequate hydration. However, job sites
60 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2021
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